1. Department or Program Communication Studies
2. Course Number 289
3. Semester Hours 3
4. Frequency of Offering Yearly - 50 students
5. Course Title Gender and Communication
6. Catalog Description A cultural approach to the study of males’
    and females’ communication styles including language choice, creation of
    meaning, interpretation of reality, interaction patterns, nonverbal messages and
    metaphors. Explores the similarities and differences between the male and female
    communication culture in a variety of interpersonal and situational contexts
    including families, organizations, peer groups, friendships, and romantic
    relationships.

7. This is an existing course Yes previously approved by A2C2.

8. This is a new course proposal. No

(If so, the WSU Curriculum Approval From must also be  completed as in the process
prescribed by WSU Regulation 3-4.)

9. University Studies Requirement Humanities
this course would satisfy

10. Department Contact Person for this course
Daniel Lintin - 457-5531
Dlintin@winona.edu

11. General Course Outcomes

Gender and Communication explores male and female communication styles
and their influences on interpersonal relationships and situational contexts.

12. Course Outcomes

A. Identify and understand specific elements and assumptions of a particular
Humanities discipline;

Gender is socially constructed. The major medium through which this
construction occurs is language, both verbal and nonverbal. Through
interacting with other people we come to know what gender roles and
their expectations are. Through this interaction gender roles are
constantly constructed, and reconstructed, in our culture. Through
class lectures, discussions, journals, and tests, students will examine
gender roles and the culture’s construction of those roles.

B. Understand how historical context, cultural values, and gender influence
perceptions and interpretations; and

Students will receive an historical overview of society’s construction of
gender. As part of this overview, students will learn how cultural
forces influenced our construction of gender concerning cultural
values, e.g., the cult of true womanhood circumscribed women’s
actions and expressed the cultural value of the family. Likewise, in the
study of gender communication, an emphasis is placed on how power
has influenced the shaping of gender roles and expectations.

C. Understand the role of critical analysis (e.g., aesthetic, historical, literary,
philosophical, rhetorical) in interpreting and evaluating expression of
human experience.

In the beginning of the course, students learn theoretical and rhetorical
approaches to understanding gender through lectures and discussions.
Subsequently, in their written assignments and tests, students are
expected to do critical analyses in able to understand gender in a variety
of contexts, i.e., media, family, organizations, peers, etc.

Instructor - Prof. Staff
Office - PAC xxx
Office Phone - 457-xxxx
E-Mail - PStaff@winona.edu
Office Hours - MWF - 10-11, 1-3; Th - 1-2

Text - Wood, Julia T. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture. Fourth ed. (Wadsworth,
           2000).

Attendance and Participation

1. Active participation in class exercises and discussions is required. Lack of attendance will
    affect your participation opportunities. Experiential learning requires your presence.
    Attendance will be taken each period. Be on time. Significantly late is the same as
    being absent. Only legitimate absences are noted. A & P = 25 points

2. You lose two points from your total points for each absence.

3. You are responsible for your absences, including securing handouts and any returned materials.

Examinations

Format for tests and final examination may include: True/False, Multiple Choice, Matching,
Application, Short Answer, and Essay. An extra credit question is available on each test/exam.

1) Test 1 - 50 points maximum

2) Test 2 - 75 points maximum

3) Final Examination - Cumulative - 125 points maximum

Written Work

1. Journal Entries - 10-20 points per entry

2. Group Research/Application Paper - 75 points

3. Group Work Reaction Paper - 15 points

Oral Work

1. Presentation of Group Research/Application Paper - 50 points

Grading

1. All assignments, including the final grade, will be based on percentages. There will be no
curves. All grade breakdowns will be based on the following:

91-100 - A, 81-90 - B, 71-80 - C, 61-70 - D, 60% - F

2. Miscellaneous work/application WILL BE assigned at any time. Points values will vary and
will be added into the course requirements. You may not ‘make-up’ in-class assignments,
applications, or miscellaneous work.

3. It is not possible to pass this course without completing all major assignments. Major
assignments are defined as worth 15 points or more.

This is a University Studies Arts and Sciences Core Class. It satisfies the Humanities Requirement. The outcomes listed for the University Studies Humanities Requirement specify that the course provide students the activities and opportunities to:

A. Identify and understand specific elements and assumptions of a particular Humanities
discipline;

B. Understand how historical context, cultural values, and gender influence perceptions and
interpretations; and

C. Understand the role of critical analysis (e.g., aesthetic, historical, literary, philosophical,
rhetorical) in interpreting and evaluating expression of human experience.

January

T 12 Orientation/Dyadic Interactions

R 14 What is Communication? 1 (a)

T 19 The Study: Defining and Analyzing (a, c)

R 21 Communication, Gender, and Culture (a, b, c)

T 26 Cont. Research in Gender Communication (a, b)

JOURNALS DUE 12:30 p.m. (c)

R 28 Theoretical Approaches to Gender 2 (c)

February

T 2 Rhetorical Shaping of Gender and Gender (c)

Movements in the U.S.

R 4 Test 1 (a, b, c)

T 9 Verbal and Nonverbal Comm. Research 4, 5 (a,b)

R 11 Verbal and Nonverbal Comm.

T 16 In-Class Application (c)

R 18 Group Day

T 23 Power and Violence Abbreviated 11 (a, b)

R 25 Gendered Family Dynamics 6 (a, b)

March

T 2 Family (a,b)

R 4 Test 2 (a, b, c)

Spring Break 3-6 through 3-21

T 23 Family (a,b)

R 25 Environment/Peers 8 (a,b)

T 30 Environment/Peers

April

R 1 In-Class Application (c)

T 6 Friends: Male/Male 7 (a,b)

R 8 Friends: Female/Female (a,b)

T 13 Gendered Education (a,b)

JOURNALS DUE (c)

R 15 University Assessment Day

T 20 Colleague Relationships 9 (a,b)

R 22 Gendered Organizational Communication (a,b)

T 27 Group Presentations (c)

R 29 Group Presentations

May

T 4 Media Research on Gender 10 (a,b)

R 6 Media Influences on Gender Development (a,b)

T 11 Gendered Violence and Power Revisited (a,b)

JOURNALS DUE (c)

R 13 Future Developments in Gender and Comm. (a,b)

Mon 17 10:30 - 12:30 - Final Examination (a,b,c)